


Comrades In Arms

by Shujinkakusama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, War Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:56:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6490669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shujinkakusama/pseuds/Shujinkakusama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War-era. A rescue mission goes awry, leaving Pearl, Ruby, and Sapphire deep behind enemy lines. // Eventual Pearlnet, some RosePearl, Rupphire, and all of these combined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no Internet and my life is kicking me in the butt, but I finally managed to write something!

They were well behind Homeworld’s lines when Garnet abruptly unfused.

 

This time it was Ruby who couldn’t hold it; Sapphire shrieked out Pearl’s name as they came apart, lithe arms neatly catching her fallen partner before either of them had fully reformed. The Topaz soldier bearing down on them was no match for Garnet, but Sapphire was woefully unprepared for combat on her own. Frozen in fear, future visions of certain doom dancing before her eye, she clung to Ruby’s unconscious form and braced herself for what very likely could have been a shattering.

 

Pearl’s timing was perfect as always; the resounding pop of the enemy’s physical form disappearing before she could land a killing blow was more than Sapphire had dared to hope for. She looked up, eye wide, shaking from the cold of the ice that spread around her and Ruby’s feet, to see Pearl, shoulders heaving, sword firmly set in the ground before them.

 

“ _Run_.”

 

Sapphire didn’t need to be told twice, and she wrenched Ruby out of the growing circle of ice crystals around the both of them, lifting up from the ground in the process. She never tore her gaze away from Pearl, who ripped her sword from the ground with a grunt of effort, turning to scan the area for enemies. Topaz soldiers rarely traveled alone.

 

And that one would be no exception, only the lack of immediate backup meant that that her cohorts were likely reporting to a higher up, getting reinforcements. It wasn’t every day that General Moldavite could have a chance at Rose Quartz’s second and third in command, and if the Specials were going to come after them…

 

“Retreat with us,” Sapphire murmured breathlessly, earning a sharp look from Pearl. “Pearl, they’re going to come for you—and I can’t escape on my own with Ruby like this. It’s safer to retreat.”

 

“What about Agate?” Pearl asked. “We’ll lose time she doesn’t have—“

 

Agate, whose capture had been inevitable, whose expertise they needed, was in the hands of the enemy. She had been for less than one cycle, but with Moldavite in charge, that could mean anything. She was the whole reason they were here, the only reason in the world that Pearl and Garnet had risked a night mission in enemy territory for a slim-to-none rescue attempt. Sapphire closed her eye, focused on the image of the other Gem, on the possibilities—and came up cold.

 

“We’re already too late,” Sapphire whispered, clutching Ruby’s prone form more tightly. Her partner was dead weight in her arms, but she would wake… soon. “Rose can’t afford to lose us too, Pearl. We need to retreat.”

 

Reluctance was writ across Pearl’s face, but she nodded slowly. She couldn’t afford to think of what horrible fate had come to Agate in the time they’d been trying to fight through to rescue her. General Moldavite was a monster without parallel. She prayed that her death had been swift.

 

“I’ll cover you,” Pearl said, kicking the Topaz’s Gem far into the undergrowth. “Let’s get as far as we can before daybreak.”

 

Sapphire nodded in agreement, gathering Ruby up to cradle her as she led the way. The territory wasn’t unfamiliar; it was land they had lost in the third wave of Homeworld’s reinforcements arriving. Pearl followed silently, watching for signs of life, and Ruby slept soundly in her partner’s arms.

 

The region was more forested than mountainous, reminiscent of some of the first areas of Earth that Sapphire had been lucky enough to see—ugly scars existed in the land where Gems had clashed, where Rose’s Army had met Homeworld’s over the years. The war was long—stretching into its third century now—and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

 

“There’s a cavern,” Sapphire said abruptly, staring left. “It’s not much, but we can hide for now.”

 

Hiding sounded like cowardice, but Pearl nodded. As long as Ruby needed to rest, there was no sense carting her around. And truthfully, Sapphire didn’t look much better; her lips were pale from exertion, and Pearl knew that if they didn’t find some cover, they wouldn’t survive a proper ambush.

 

“Does the enemy know about it?” Pearl asked, earning a shrug from Sapphire.

 

“I can’t say.”

 

That wasn’t the answer Pearl wanted to hear, but she followed all the same as Sapphire made her way into the cave.

 

The floor was sloped, and Pearl ducked her head to avoid the low ceiling, Gem flickering to cast light ahead of them. The cave entryway was small, and dwindling, but just as Pearl was about to ask Sapphire whether there were a bigger hiding place, the cavern opened up to reveal an open area, with a sheet of stalactites that glowed when the light from Pearl’s Gem hit it.

 

“Better…” Pearl whispered, and was relieved that there wasn’t a significant echo despite the enclosed space. It didn’t look like anyone had ever been in here, and she privately thanked the stars that Sapphire could sometimes sense such things. It was a good place to lie low, at least until Garnet could refuse.

 

Sapphire was careful to lay Ruby out beneath her as she landed, cradling her partner’s head in her lap. Pearl continued her exploration of the cave, leaving the two in the dark, however briefly, before joining the former aristocrat where she sat.

 

“How is she?” she asked at length, glancing down at the red Gem, whose eyes were closed, but her face seemed peaceful. At least for now. Pearl reached to tuck a lock of her hair back away from her forehead, and Ruby didn’t stir. Sapphire’s smaller hands were folded over her chest, cool magic glowing from her Gem, and the seer sighed.

 

“Exhausted. But not injured,” Sapphire whispered, “She’ll wake soon. She took the strain off of me during the battle…”

 

“She does have more stamina, normally,” Pearl murmured, drawing her hand away to settle on Sapphire’s instead. “You did well. We don’t normally have so many days of war in a row, and I know Garnet hasn’t rested…” She herself hadn’t rested, either, but that went without saying. Pearl didn’t sleep, and she didn’t like to admit when she _needed_ to rest, but she could feel her exhaustion creeping in on her as well.

 

Sapphire made a dissatisfied noise of agreement. There hadn’t been time to rest or unfuse, and it was exhausting trying to do the work of ten Gems at once. Sapphire remembered it distantly, but it was like someone else’s dream. But the exhaustion wore at her now, made her feel dull and tired. Being Garnet, who could take so much more stress and damage than she herself could, wore her body to its limit. Sapphire closed her eye, leaning without looking into Pearl’s shoulder. She tried not to smile a little at the startled squawking sound Pearl made—the terrifying renegade wasn’t nearly so frightening now, with centuries between them.

 

“No one will find us here,” Sapphire assured her, “We should rest while we can.”

 

Pearl nodded, and Sapphire could feel her bony shoulder bob with her head. “I’ll watch over you,” she offered, trying to ignore the heaviness behind her eyelids. With the near-silence of the cavern, otherwise only offset by their breathing, Pearl could feel her body trying to shut down in turn. She shook her head against the tiredness, but it didn’t stave the feeling off much.

 

“There’s no need,” Sapphire said. “We can all rest. You should sleep.”

 

“I don’t need to.”

 

“Of course,” Sapphire chuckled, despite herself, but there was no warmth in it. “But that’s a lie. And if you don’t sleep, you will stay awake blaming yourself. There was nothing we could do but try, and we did.”

 

The knight was silent, knowing her companion was right, and also knowing that she had no intention to sleep. She had to remain vigilant. If the enemy did find them like this, Pearl would have to fight, no matter how tired she felt. But in the dark, it almost felt safe, and in the quiet, her focus dulled…

 

Her Gem’s light flickered and faded as she succumbed to her tiredness, and Sapphire felt Pearl’s cheek drop to her hair. The Cyclops smiled a little; she knew all too well how badly Pearl needed the rest, and even if she herself needed some too, she could handle waiting like this.

 

Actually, ‘this’ wasn’t so terrible at all. Sapphire could see some shapes without the light from Pearl’s Gem, and she could make out Ruby’s resting silhouette in her lap. Gloved fingers traced her partner’s round face, warm to the touch, and Pearl’s calloused hand over hers was cool by comparison. Still warmer than her hands, of course, but that went without saying. Sapphire had tried a few times to increase her body temperature to match the others and found that it was effort wasted; she was content as she was, cold and unapproachable to all but three other Gems in their army.

 

And having two of those Gems with her now was wonderful. The loss of Agate was unfortunate, but Sapphire had never been close to her—none of them had been. Sapphire could do nothing about it, or about the numerous possible ends she’d come to. Pearl didn’t need to know any more than Ruby did. Garnet could handle the knowledge if she tried to remember it.

 

Sapphire could protect Pearl and Ruby from very little on her own, but she could at least shoulder this in the same way that Ruby tried to provide all of Garnet’s strength. It might not have been the most effective, and it might not work forever, but in the meantime she could protect her loved ones from _some_ pain.

 

It was soothing to hear both Ruby and Pearl’s breathing, not quite matched, but with similar rhythm. Sapphire wondered when they had all finally picked it up, but sure enough, sometime after their respective arrivals on Earth, they had all developed the habit. Sapphire liked to think that she’d picked it up from Ruby, but she had a feeling that _Garnet_ had been the first to really breathe regularly, and she’d certainly learned it from Pearl. She learned many things from Pearl.

 

Her future vision warned her that Ruby would wake minutes before it happened, and while she couldn’t lean down to kiss her awake without disturbing Pearl, she could phase away her gloves and stroke her face gently, enjoying the way heat seemed to pool under her touch.

 

“Sapphy?”

 

The nickname always brought a smile to Sapphire’s full lips, and she hummed. “Who else?” she asked softly, allowing Ruby to catch her hand and draw it to her mouth for a light kiss.

 

Ruby couldn’t see nearly as well in the dark, but there was a second hand on her chest still, and she didn’t need to look to see who it belonged to. “Pearl?”

 

“She’s sleeping, for now,” Sapphire whispered, “We’re safe.”

 

Ruby nodded, still somewhat groggy. She said nothing, then; “Did we succeed?” Sapphire’s silence was answer enough; tears of frustration pooled rapidly in Ruby’s eyes, but sizzled and evaporated. “Damn it! It’s my fault, isn’t it? We unfused fighting that Topaz and couldn’t--”

 

Sapphire rested a finger against Ruby’s lips to silence her, and though she certainly had more to say, she shut her mouth. Against Sapphire’s shoulder, Pearl stirred, groaning quietly. Ruby breathed through her nose and held it; Sapphire held her breath even though it was stale. When their companion didn’t wake, both sighed in perfect unison. If Pearl were tired enough to actually fall asleep to begin with, she must have been more exhausted than they could imagine.

 

“It was inevitable,” Sapphire said softly, stroking Ruby’s hair soothingly. “We would have been too late, even if we hadn’t unfused. We missed our chance by taking the northern path. At least this way we three will make it back safely. If we’d been captured, we would have been killed.”

 

Glassy dark eyes stared up at her, but finally, Ruby nodded. They had already lost so many Gems in the war—good soldiers, good _friends_ —and she was the most used to the sting of losing a comrade. Rubies were broken all the time, on and off the battlefield. She reached up to settle her large hand over Pearl’s, effectively doubly trapping Sapphire’s Gem against her chest. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean to—“

 

“I’ve heard you swear before, Ruby,” Sapphire chuckled quietly, knowing what she would say without having to look ahead. “You’ve said worse. I’m not offended either way.”

 

“I shouldn’t swear in front of you,” Ruby frowned deeply, “It’s rude, and you’re—“

 

“We’re equals,” Sapphire insisted, “And I love you. Even when you curse.”

 

Color suffused her cheeks, and Ruby was amazed, and not for the first time, at how direct Sapphire could be about her feelings. She nodded, mustering up a smile, and squeezed the hands beneath hers—and at this, Pearl did finally wake, surprising only Ruby.

 

When the knight awoke from her slumber, she looked anything but fearsome, blinking owlishly down at her companions. Ruby’s hand over hers kept her from drawing away, and Sapphire reached up with her free hand to push Pearl’s pink hair away from her tired face. “Do you feel better?” Sapphire asked, and Ruby watched as Pearl—still groggy—nuzzled her face into the other’s palm.

 

“Much…” Pearl affirmed, then drew away a little too quickly as she regained herself. Cheeks flushed, she looked away, extracting her hand from between Ruby’s and Sapphire’s. “Sorry.”

 

“We don’t mind,” the two smaller Gems said in almost perfect unison, and Pearl could feel color creeping down her neck. She was glad for the darkness then, and doubly glad that the others didn’t push beyond the chorused reminder that she was welcome anytime.

 

Ruby and Sapphire made things… difficult, Pearl found. She was sworn to Rose Quartz, belonged to her in ways that even her two closest friends couldn’t know, but that didn’t stop her from loving the pair of them—and Garnet, separately or by extension, she wasn’t sure which—with a ferocity that frightened her. Pearl wondered if it were another defect, the way that her free spirit and inability to take orders was, but the more she wondered, the less she would have been willing to change it if given the chance.

 

But Pearls didn’t court, and her former status certainly didn’t give her room to be an exception. She didn’t wholly understand how knighthood was meant to work, but it seemed… strange, being sworn to someone so perfect, and to want not just one other Gem, but three. Rose Quartz may have been unattainable, but the burning want in her Gem for Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet was unacceptable. It didn’t make _sense._

 

“You’re over-thinking this again, Pearl,” Sapphire declared, earning a startled squawk from Pearl. “You don’t need to.”

 

“You say that, but isn’t it…” Pearl licked her lips nervously, surprised at how dry they’d gotten in however long she’d been asleep. “Inappropriate? Confusing? _Complicated_?”

 

“Love often is.” Sapphire’s smile was visible in the dark. “There isn’t any pressure, Pearl. Nothing has to come of it.”

 

“Yeah,” Ruby agreed, turning on her side, still mostly in Sapphire’s lap, and reaching for Pearl’s hand. The alabaster Gem didn’t draw away, but her arm was stiff when Ruby pulled. “We just… couldn’t keep it secret.”

 

“And Garnet didn’t want to,” Sapphire added, voice dropping to something more somber, more serious. “With how bad the war has gotten, we couldn’t bear not telling you, especially if something were to happen.”

 

Pearl’s cheeks burned so feverishly that she was surprised they didn’t light up the entire cavern, and she ducked her head. “I belong to Rose,” she murmured, “You two deserve—“

 

“Pearl, we don’t _care_ what we deserve,” Ruby said boldly, and Sapphire nodded in agreement. “We want whatever you want to give. It doesn’t have to be anything more.”

 

“It doesn’t have to be romantic,” Sapphire added, although she knew Garnet would have preferred that. Still, for the moment, Garnet wasn’t here—and this was about the three Gems huddling together in a cavern, well into enemy lines, whose friendship was bound to become something more with time. Most futures, as far out as Sapphire dared to look, even the hazy ones, were unified in that respect.

 

“But it _should_ be,” Pearl protested, “If that’s what you both want, you _should_ have it. I shouldn’t be confused! You’re both so important to me, and I want you to be happy, all of you, so I—“

 

Sapphire covered her mouth with her hand, lifting a finger to her lips to shush her. “And you love Rose Quartz, and also want her to be happy. And that’s _good_ , Pearl. We should strive to love like you do. But what you want matters, too.”

 

What Pearl wanted—truly wanted—was more than she could ever imagine having. She wanted Rose Quartz’s favor and affection, true, but she also found herself longing for what Sapphire and Ruby shared—and Rose simply wasn’t that kind of Gem. And she wanted to know Garnet _that way_ , more, perhaps, than she should have even considered. Every moment she spent with the Fusion—her two best friends combined into one remarkable Gem that surprised her almost daily—was reminiscent of her early years with Rose, back on Homeworld. The newness was invigorating, but she knew even a scant few centuries in that, provided they survived the war, Garnet would be one of the most important Gems in her universe for as long as she existed. And she wanted that. She wanted an eternity of Garnet, and another with Rose Quartz, and two more for Ruby and Sapphire together.

 

Wanting was a dangerous thing, something Rose encouraged and indulged in. But Rose Quartz was on a completely different level; she deserved entire worlds brought to her on a platter, should have commanded stars the way the remaining Diamond Authority did. Pearl was silent, because by comparison, she deserved nothing. A Pearl playing at war was scandalous enough, but playing at love…

 

Sapphire’s eye abruptly overtook her vision as the Cyclops leaned in, and Pearl squeaked, suddenly finding herself incredibly close to the blue Gem’s fair face. “Remember that this is Earth,” she said, and Pearl wondered if Sapphire could read minds and simply hadn’t told her. “And remember that the rules have changed. We’re all on equal standing.”

 

“It’s hard unlearning the system,” Ruby chimed in, and Pearl tore her wide-eyed gaze away from Sapphire to look down at her. The smaller Gem still held her hand, shorter fingers curled around her palm tightly. Ruby’s hand was warmer than Sapphire’s, which still lingered on her face, and the contrast was lovely. Pearl swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, and Ruby went on, “I still am, too. But we’re here now, on Earth! Aren’t you supposed to be a terrifying rebel leader now?”

 

Despite herself, Pearl laughed, ignoring the way it echoed in the small cavern. And after the stress of the week, after so many hours awake and working tirelessly, the failed rescue attempt, the weight of their other losses on her shoulders, that laugh rapidly gave way to tears. Panicked, Ruby scrambled up to apologize, but Sapphire tugged them both into a cool embrace, and Pearl’s bony arms found their way around the two smaller Gems’ waists as she cried.

 

She didn’t know how long she wept, only that the stress of the past few weeks was slow to ebb even with her breakdown. Sapphire and Ruby each rubbed comforting circles against her back with their hands, Gems providing a wash of heat and chill that soothed Pearl out of her hysterics.

 

“Forgive me,” Pearl finally whispered into Ruby’s bare shoulder, damp with her tears, and Ruby shot a panicked look at Sapphire, who was no more practiced in this than she was.

 

“We’re not upset,” Sapphire supplied quickly, threading small fingers through her short hair, smoothing tangles from their earlier escape in the undergrowth. “You shoulder a lot, Pearl.”

 

“And you don’t have to,” Ruby added, “We’re here too. We can help you, Pearl.”

 

“You just have to let us,” Sapphire finished for her, and Pearl nodded miserably, wiping at her tears. Sapphire pushed her hands away and held them for a moment before drying her tears for her. Pearl hiccupped, and Sapphire couldn’t resist the urge to press her face to the knight’s, giving an affectionate nuzzle. “We’re here with you.”

 

Ruby nodded enthusiastically, broad arms finding purchase around Pearl’s narrow waist. “And for you. No matter what happens,” she chimed in, leaning up to mimic Sapphire’s actions, rubbing her nose against Pearl’s cheek. The alabaster Gem giggled, and both her companions could feel her face heat in a flush.

 

“Alright, alright,” Pearl said, drawing in a shaky breath. “I’ll… I’ll work on it. For you two.”

 

“And Garnet?” Ruby asked hopefully, earning a nod. The smaller Gem grinned. “Good. ‘Cause you know, she really looks up to you, but you’d do better _together_.”

 

“In more than one sense,” Sapphire agreed, and it was her turn to laugh when Pearl spluttered in embarrassment at the insinuation. In the dark, Sapphire’s eye shone with mischief, but her smile was deceptively innocent. “I was referring to Fusion, Pearl, but if you’ve got other ideas—“

 

“Oh _stars_!” Pearl squeaked, hiding her face. “Don’t start that up!”

 

Her companions laughed, but spared her—this time—and Pearl eventually regained control over her expression. She coughed delicately, but this time didn’t bother trying to extract herself from their embraces. Sapphire settled happily against her left side, and Ruby took the right, effectively sandwiching the knight between them. Pearl sighed, closed her eyes, and though most of the teasing had been at her expense, she was glad for the reprieve from more pressing matters.

 

Even if it couldn’t last.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio remains in the cave. Mostly fluff.

It was Sapphire’s recommendation that they wait out the remainder of the night and the following day inside the cavern, as the trio were all still exhausted, and treading through enemy territory by daylight was practically suicide. Pearl was reluctant to put off returning to camp—and to Rose—but sure enough, it was too close to dawn to make it back in time.

 

Pearl returned with some firewood, and Ruby was careful to light it behind the sheet of stalactites. The result was instantaneous; a faint glow filled the room, and the smoke traveled upward into other parts of the cave. Sapphire assured the both of them that the smoke would stagnate in another chamber without giving away their position. In the meantime, it was easier for the three of them to see one another.

 

As ever, Ruby and Sapphire were practically inseparable. They brushed hands when one passed the other and stole lingering glances when the other wasn’t looking. Truth be told, Pearl couldn’t help envying her best friends—they were open and honest with one another, gave and took equally, and even a blind Gem would have been able to see how dearly they loved one another.

 

Pearl didn’t understand why they would want her to be part of that.

 

Ruby was the first to suggest that they try resting on the floor—it seemed to work for humans and other organic life, after all, and there was enough space—and when Pearl wrinkled her nose in disgust, Sapphire blithely offered her skirt for a pillow. Ruby insisted, teased Pearl for her unwillingness to compromise, and in the end, Pearl had somehow found herself with her head in Sapphire’s lap, and Ruby sprawled out behind her, close enough that she could feel the fire elemental’s heat even though they weren’t touching.

 

Sapphire hummed, absently braiding her hair to resist the urge to further embarrass Pearl while she tried to acclimate herself to her present position.

 

“Is this really necessary?” Pearl asked, flush visible even in the limited light of the chamber. “I’m sure I won’t fall asleep again.”

 

“You’re perfectly welcome to,” Sapphire said, “Both of you. And if you won’t, you should at least rest while you can.”

 

Pearl was quiet for a long moment, absently smoothing the fabric of Sapphire’s skirt. It was remarkable how soft she could make the projection—even though it was as much part of Sapphire as any light construct, she had managed to give the skirt buoyancy and a silken feeling, apropos of her former class. “Shouldn’t you rest, too?” she asked finally, chancing a glance up at Sapphire. “You’ve been awake this whole time.”

 

Sapphire looked briefly startled, glancing from Pearl to Ruby, who popped her head up just enough to peer over the swish of Pearl’s pink hair. “I’m fine,” she assured them, watching as Ruby’s left eyebrow hiked up in disbelief. “I can rest like this. I’m completely comfortable with you two laying on me.”

 

“Are you sure?” it was Ruby’s turn to press her, and Sapphire’s smile didn’t do much in the way of convincing her partner. “You should lie down too.”

 

“I’m braiding my hair.”

 

“ _After_ ,” Pearl and Ruby said in unison, and Sapphire laughed at the startled look they exchanged. Pearl’s blush was decidedly more visible against the pallor of her skin, even in the darkness, but the way Ruby’s eyes went round with surprise was incredibly telling.

 

“See? It’s good that we’re all here together,” Sapphire said, “I can tell something good will come of it.”

 

Pearl looked ready to counterpoint, but when Ruby slipped an arm around her chest, she froze, wide-eyed.

 

“Ruby—“

 

The Gem in question staged a loud yawn against Pearl’s arm, leaning into her. Pearl’s tunic didn’t offer much in the way of separation between them, and Ruby’s cheek found comfortable purchase against the dip between Pearl’s shoulders. She was cool, but not nearly as chilly as Sapphire—and Ruby enjoyed the contrast. “I’m gonna sleep some more,” she announced, tucking her gemmed palm under her cheek as if this were perfectly normal.

 

Wide blue eyes turned toward Sapphire, and Pearl knew from her smile alone that she’d be no help as she continued finger-combing her long hair. The knight sighed heavily, willing herself to relax in Ruby’s embrace. It wasn’t that the contact was unwelcome, or even particularly uncomfortable. Actually, Ruby’s strong arm around her was wonderfully soothing. She was warm and firm, and provided delectable contrast to the cold that seemed to come off of Sapphire in waves. Being between them was heavenly, and she wondered if _this_ was sustainable, somehow. Just existing with Ruby and Sapphire near her was wonderful in the same way that being near Rose Quartz was wonderful.

 

She _wanted_ …

 

Pearl tried to push the wanting from her mind, to just accept the gesture. She could close her eyes, and imagine long days like this, away from the war, with her best friends. The only thing that could have improved the situation would have been having Rose there with them—the three dearest people in the universe all safe in one place was like an impossible dream.

 

Even more impossible would have been the inclusion of Garnet.

 

Thinking of the Fusion made Pearl’s heart skip a beat, and behind closed eyes, she could imagine her there too—perhaps sitting just out of reach, or cross-legged behind Ruby. Garnet wasn’t nearly as handsy as her components were separately, but Pearl could imagine her leaning down and easily reaching around both Ruby and Pearl, with her long, toned arms.

 

And wouldn’t that be wonderful, she thought, and she could almost feel it. Rose would likely approve—even if she didn’t participate—but since she was already imagining the impossible, why _shouldn’t_ she imagine Rose sitting with them, too, with a warm hand in her short hair, perhaps holding Sapphire close as well. They could all be together in her mind’s eye, with no conflicting interests or propriety to worry over.

 

Having finished her task, Sapphire flipped her loose braid over one shoulder. Ruby had taken to snoring, breathing slowly and evenly against Pearl’s back, and Pearl’s breathing had settled into the same rhythm. Sapphire hummed softly, reaching experimentally to gather Pearl’s hand in hers. Rewarded with no resistance, the Cyclops smiled. Perfect. Pearl put up a good fight, but she wasn’t ultimately surprised to see that she’d fallen asleep again. Most paths ended that way.

 

What did surprise her, however, was Pearl’s Gem flickering to life, casting a blue hologram onto the limestone floor ahead of her. The image was simple enough; the three of them as they were, but with both Garnet and Rose Quartz there as well. Sapphire watched briefly, idly stroking the underside of Pearl’s palm with her thumb.

 

It was a good dream, and Sapphire was glad that Pearl could have it. She worried—it was so easy to do, with the future always dancing before her eye—that after their failure, Pearl would be troubled, but it seemed that she was content for now. Ruby, too.

 

It was strange to see Garnet, even in a hologram. She had seen her reflection, of course, through Garnet’s eyes, so she knew what she looked like. But it was still fundamentally _strange_. Pearl’s projection was eerily accurate, even in her sleep; every one of Rose’s meticulous curls was preserved, perfectly shaped, like something cast on a comm screen rather than a dream. And her subconscious spared no detail where Garnet was concerned, either; half-skirted uniform and all, the little image of her and Ruby’s amalgam was a perfect replica.

 

Pearl didn’t seem to want much more than she already had, if the dream was any indication. Sapphire watched herself in the dream, tucked close to Rose’s side but with a hand covering Pearl’s. Sapphire smiled at the way Pearl tried to include all of them, even in her sleep. It wasn’t as if it _couldn’t_ work, in theory. Rose Quartz was wonderful, even if Sapphire was quite certain that neither she nor Ruby loved her quite _that_ way. She was their leader, the reason they could be on this planet, the one responsible for encouraging Garnet’s continued existence…

 

But she wasn’t Pearl, and Sapphire wondered without looking into the future if that would put a dampener on things between all of them. She couldn’t in a million years imagine Rose Quartz turning down the offer to all be involved, not if it were what Pearl wanted, but…

 

Sapphire didn’t think Garnet had eyes for anyone except the alabaster Gem in her lap.

 

She looked away from the projection, more interested in Pearl’s face, devoid of worry lines for the first time in weeks. The knight looked centuries younger asleep, with her mouth slightly open and peach pink hair framing her cheeks. She was lovely—beautiful in a way that Ruby wasn’t, but that Sapphire appreciated all the same—and if not for the knowledge that she would definitely be crossing the unspoken line between them, Sapphire would have liked to kiss her then and there.

 

Knowing it would wake her up was another good reason to refrain.

 

Still, she could enjoy stroking Pearl’s hand, basking in the simple indulgence. Pearl had more calluses than Ruby, a stark contrast to her lily-white skin and delicate build. Pearl belonged on the battlefield about as much as she did, but remarkably, she’d become so adept with her swords that it was impossible to tell. The terrifying renegade had more than earned her reputation.

 

“Sapphy?”

 

Sapphire glanced up from Pearl’s face, seeing Ruby peering over her. Their gazes met, and the blue Gem leaned forward to tangle her fingers in her curly hair. Ruby took the hint, pushing herself up to kiss her partner gently. Between them, Pearl didn’t stir, and Sapphire took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, just slightly.

 

The angle was unfortunate, but when Ruby drew away, Sapphire could see her blush burning in the darkness.

 

“Pearl’ll wake up,” Ruby cautioned, and Sapphire shook her head. “Are you _sure_?”

 

“Positive,” the Cyclops said softly, cupping Ruby’s face in her hands. “She’ll sleep a while yet. I’m not suggesting we go _too_ far, of course, but…”

 

Ruby nodded slightly, a smile playing across her lips. “Whatever you like, Sapphy,” she said, leaning in to close the distance between them again. It was rare to get a moment together, especially unfused, but Ruby reveled in it.

 

Beneath them, Pearl slept on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet admires Pearl while she sleeps.

Garnet opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings that she knew instinctively were safe. A bonus of her future vision was that it came with acute awareness of the strange places she sometimes came to in, which made blipping in and out of existence much less mentally taxing. She didn’t have clear memories to draw from, but knew that her components had made it here some time earlier, intent to hide out until the following night. Little else stood out, but she supposed that didn’t much matter.

 

She peered about the cave, familiarizing herself with the chamber before turning her gaze downward to look at Pearl, who now had her head pillowed by Garnet’s thighs, a hand curled close to her face in her sleep. By some miracle, she hadn’t awoken during the Fusion’s reformation, and Garnet was thankful for it. Pearl needed her rest. The knight had a terrible habit of pushing herself too hard, too long, and Garnet knew it was only a matter of time before that tendency caught up in some horrible way—so this development, no matter how unusual, was good. Even if it felt like a flurry of dragonflies were trying to take off at the sight of Pearl there in her lap.

 

Even if she could never have her.

 

The Fusion watched her for long moments, somewhat cowed by the terrifying renegade even now—because after three hundred years, she wasn’t so much afraid of her as she was consistently awed by Pearl’s strength and resilience. Garnet still struggled to find her place on the battlefield, on Earth, but Pearl…

 

She looked nothing like a fighter asleep, breathing gently through parted lips, with peach pink hair framing a delicate face. Her Gem still projected images of Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet, and Rose Quartz with her—and though she didn’t want to admit to jealousy, Garnet tried not to observe. It felt intrusive, knowing what Pearl was thinking, even if it was something as innocent as the lot of them sprawled out together in the grass.

 

Instead, she watched Pearl herself. Garnet had never seen anyone like her and doubted it had anything to do with her youth—a few hundred years was nothing to Gems. As much as any of the rescued Kindergarten Gems, Garnet was a child soldier, thrust too soon onto the battlefield.

 

But this… this felt more like where she belonged. Somewhere quiet, with someone she loved. She knew from some of Ruby’s shared memories that other Fusions existed to fight, but she also knew that she was _different_. Born from something that had quickly blossomed into love, Garnet was unlike other Fusions, even within Rose’s small army. It was too soon to say if that were a good thing.

 

Garnet couldn’t resist the urge to trace Pearl’s face with her fingertips, more hesitant than either of her components when it came to these things. Her feelings for Pearl, she knew, were completely transparent—had been for some time, even before Ruby and Sapphire had announced their interest—but she still wondered about the knight’s stance. She endured her components’ teasing, and Garnet knew that a firm _no_ was nowhere in any of their futures. But Pearl was a mystery, sometimes.

 

When Pearl let out a blissful sigh and nudged her face into Garnet’s waiting palm, the Fusion was sure her heart would leap out of her chest. Ruby’s Gem was warm against Pearl’s soft cheek, and Garnet couldn’t breathe for several seconds when Pearl’s lips brushed the edge of the stone. A flurry of emotions threatened to overwhelm her at the simplest contact, and somewhere in the depths of her consciousness, she could feel Sapphire’s amusement at her embarrassment.

 

If this was what being in love was like, Garnet didn’t know if she could take it.

 

The Fusion tried to withdraw her hand without disturbing her companion, but Pearl caught her wrist with surprising strength, murmuring something indistinctly into Garnet’s fingertips. Garnet froze, certain she would wake, but after several excruciating seconds, Pearl’s grip relaxed again, signaling that she had succumbed to her exhaustion. The light of her Gem flickered briefly before it resumed projecting Pearl’s fantasy on the opposite wall, and Garnet couldn’t help chancing a glance—only to be rewarded by the sight of Pearl catching a kiss on the Gem from Rose Quartz. Once again, Garnet looked away. She couldn’t compete with Rose.

 

Leaving her hand where it was seemed to be the only option, fingertips trapped between Pearl’s cheek and her thigh, and Garnet could only hope that Pearl wouldn’t notice whenever she did wake.

 

Garnet sighed, closing her eyes to savor the moment while she could. At least this reprieve was nice, even if she couldn’t deny the guilty stone that settled in her stomach at knowing they had failed their rescue mission. She thought only briefly of Agate before having to refocus with a grunt of distaste. General Moldavite had undoubtedly done something terrible to their comrade, but she couldn’t look into the past to see what—still, none of the futures she’d seen before unfusing had been favorable. Most had been the stuff of nightmares.

 

At least they wouldn’t be found returning to camp; that much was clear as anything in Garnet’s mind’s eye. Waiting out here with Pearl was the wisest decision, even if it was profoundly distracting to have the Gem in question asleep in her lap. Garnet wondered how much longer the sun would last—it changed with the seasons, here on Earth, and varied by distance from the equator—but she wasn’t about to leave to investigate.

 

It was a long time before Pearl stirred, and her dream projection flickered and died as she slowly came to. The knight made a soft noise of confusion in the back of her throat, spreading her fingers across the bare skin of Garnet’s thigh, earning a brilliant flush from the bigger Gem.

 

“You’re awake,” Garnet choked out, finally withdrawing her hand as Pearl stared up at her blearily. “We—I—Erm, Ruby and Sapphire, they Fused while you were asleep.”

 

“I see that,” Pearl murmured, slowly pushing herself upright with the hand still resting on Garnet’s thigh. For a handful of seconds, Garnet wished she hadn’t said anything, but then Pearl looked up at her, a soft smile playing across her lips, and Garnet instead wished for a thousand years together in this cave. “Welcome back, Garnet.”

 

Pearl could see the flush that spread across Garnet’s cheeks even in the semi-darkness, and her smile widened. Garnet was absolutely a welcome sight to wake up to. The Fusion simply gaped at her, mouth slack, so Pearl went on. “Did I miss anything?”

 

“Er… no,” Garnet said hastily, shaking her head. Her messy curls fell into her face, over her third eye, and she quickly pushed her hair back out of the way. “Not a thing. I don’t know what time it is, or how long you were asleep, though.”

 

Pearl’s gaze shifted toward the stalactite wall, where the glow of the fire was beginning to wane. “The fire’s almost out… must’ve been a while,” she replied vaguely, pushing herself up to rise. Garnet instinctively lent a hand, and Pearl took it without a thought. “I’ll go look outside and get some more wood.”

 

A worried scan of possible outcomes gave Garnet no excuse to join her, so the Fusion simply nodded, watching as Pearl turned to go, sword in hand.

 

She caught herself staring at the very subtle way her comrade’s hips swayed as she walked, the way her sheer tunic hid nearly nothing, and Garnet pressed her face into her palms.

 

This was unbearable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet and Pearl spend more time together in the cave.

Pearl returned in short order, with more than enough firewood to last until nightfall. Garnet watched her disappear behind the cave formation, eyed her shadow as it danced on the wall, eerie and distorted. She’d spent the few minutes Pearl was away deliberating on a question that always nagged at the back of her mind, something Ruby and Sapphire had never outright addressed.

 

The terrifying renegade was very _different_ when they were alone, and Garnet never understood why. But Pearl returned to her side, dusting her hands off on her shorts, and sat close enough that Garnet was certain she could feel the heat radiating off of her; Pearl folded her hands neatly in her lap, leaning back against the same expanse of cave wall that Sapphire had earlier.

 

For whatever reason—and Garnet couldn’t fathom why—Pearl seemed more forward with her, initiating touch more often than Garnet had the nerve to. She held her arm during debriefing, when she wasn’t standing at Rose Quartz’s side, and she frequently tugged Garnet to and fro by the hand. It was baffling. More than that, it made her heart do summersaults in her chest. She didn’t know whether to hope.

 

It had been one thing when she was new. Pearl had taken it upon herself to help Garnet earn her land legs, walking with a steady arm around her waist as she grew accustomed to her new form. But that had stopped being necessary after only a few months. Pearl’s arm was always a welcome comfort around her midsection, especially now, but Pearl spent much of her time being incredibly pragmatic. She was practical to a fault, and scanning the future didn’t give Garnet any satisfactory hints as to what was going through her best friend’s mind.

 

“Pearl?”

 

Wide blue eyes turned toward her, eerily pale in the mixed light of the cave, and Garnet felt her nerve slip. “Yes, Garnet?” Pearl prompted, greeted with several seconds of silence.

 

There was no sense _not_ asking.

 

Steeling herself, Garnet took the plunge, averting her gaze.

 

“You see me as different from Ruby and Sapphire, right?”

 

“Of course. You’re Garnet.”

 

Pearl answered so readily that Garnet had to suck in breath, lest she forget how to breathe altogether. That answer was… good. It was part of what she had hoped to hear. Garnet swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

 

“Do you…” Garnet felt heat rising to her cheeks, and she wished sorely for something to hide her face behind. A mask, or a visor, a helmet—anything. Instead she could only duck her head, face half-hidden by pink and blue curls. Her question caught behind her teeth, and she licked her lips uncomfortably. “Do you like them more?”

 

This time, the question startled Pearl into silence, and Garnet said nothing to clarify her inquiry.

 

“I… I don’t think it’s a contest,” Pearl said shakily, flushing a brilliant teal. “It wouldn’t be fair. I like you all. It’s just complicated… it’s different. From other Gems.”

 

“Different,” Garnet echoed, frowning deeply. “Is it because I’m them fused?”

 

“ _What_?” Pearl squeaked, “Garnet, I don’t… that isn’t what I meant. Not at all.”

 

It took great courage for Garnet to turn to meet her eyes. “Please explain it,” she said quietly, “Because I don’t understand the way things are right now.”

 

Pearl froze under Garnet’s tri-colored gaze, uncertain and worried and _lost_ , and the knight found that she wanted nothing more in that moment than to assure her that any worry she had ever harbored was unfounded, that Garnet was perfect and had no reason in the world to think otherwise. She was wonderful, and whole, and more than just Ruby and Sapphire fused together—so much more, and anyone looking in from the outside could see that if they had any sense at all.

 

She just didn’t know how to put those disjointed thoughts into words.

 

“I don’t know how,” Pearl admitted, dropping her gaze, suddenly transfixed by her hands in her lap, fingers knotted tightly together. “It’s not because you’re a Fusion. Not at all. Garnet, I… I don’t think of that when I see you. You’re just Garnet. You’re your own Gem. I…” she trailed off, worrying her bottom lip. “I think that’s part of what’s got me so confused. It’s not your fault!” She said hastily, looking up in time to see Garnet’s lips pursed in a distinct frown. “Garnet, _no_ , I—I went from caring about one Gem th… that way, to _four_ , and I don’t know what to _do_! That’s my fault! I shouldn’t be confused, I should…”

 

“Pearl…” Garnet started, surprised by her outburst. She hadn’t been expecting all that, not at all. But Pearl went on, undeterred, caught up in the momentum of trying to articulate everything at once.

 

“I should know!” Pearl insisted, tears of frustration welling up in her wide eyes. “I should be able to choose—no, I shouldn’t _want_ to choose, I shouldn’t have a choice to begin with! It should be _Rose_ , Garnet, she’s who I was made for! I _exist_ for Rose!”

 

“But this isn’t Homeworld,” Garnet countered, “You aren’t bound to those rules here—“

 

“I’m a _Pearl_ , it doesn’t make sense for me to feel this way! I shouldn’t want anything she won’t give! I shouldn’t want anyone else! And I want all of you, and I can’t—“

 

“Pearl!” Garnet exclaimed, catching Pearl’s hands and tugging her forward. Pearl slumped against her friend without offering any resistance, and Garnet gingerly wrapped her arms around the much smaller Gem’s frame, rubbing her back between her shoulders. “I’m sorry,” Garnet whispered earnestly, “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

“You deserve an answer,” Pearl insisted through her tears, voice muffled by Garnet’s shoulder. “All of you do; I shouldn’t be making you wait. But I can’t… I don’t want to turn any of you down. But I can’t say _yes_ either. Not until after…”

 

Pearl didn’t finish, trailing off miserably and scrubbing at her eyes.

 

Garnet shushed her, drawing her closer to rest her chin on the crown of her companion’s head. “It’s fine,” Garnet said quietly, “I can wait. Until whenever. We all can.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to,” Pearl murmured, “I wish there were more of me.”

 

“You’re enough,” Garnet assured her, rocking the other Gem gently, and Pearl didn’t immediately argue. Instead, she slipped her arms around the Fusion’s shoulders, hugging her tightly, and it took several seconds for Garnet to remember how to breathe. She returned the embrace, tugging Pearl forward into her lap. “And I—we—really don’t want anything you can’t give. I promise.” Her voice dropped, “It’s enough that you’re my friend, Pearl. That we didn’t drive you away. You mean a lot to me; to us.”

 

Pearl was quiet for a long while, fighting the urge to dissolve back into tears, but she nodded against Garnet’s chest. The stress of fighting in an endless war must have been affecting her more than she realized, if she couldn’t keep herself together for a serious conversation.

 

“You always make me feel so at ease,” Pearl whispered finally, “I don’t understand. Garnet, just being _near_ you makes me feel so safe, like nothing else in the world exists. It’s different from how Ruby or Sapphire, or even Rose makes me feel. I want to protect you all, but it always feels like you’re the one protecting me when we’re together.”

 

For a moment, Garnet was stunned into silence. Of the two of them, Pearl was the more capable fighter—more experienced. Stronger in practice, even if Garnet had raw power that Pearl couldn’t match. The idea that she could make the knight feel safe and protected, when she was still so new to war, seemed outlandish.

 

And yet, Garnet couldn’t have wanted anything more.

 

“You’re right,” she said at length, pressing a smile into Pearl’s hair. “That _is_ different.” Garnet paused, briefly this time, and felt her components wondering deep down in their respective Gems, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she hugged Pearl a little more tightly, settling in with her back against the sloping cave wall.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose Quartz's approval is everything.

The easy silence between them couldn’t last forever. Pearl had her emotions under control, at least enough that she didn’t over-think herself into more tears. It was so easily done, especially thinking of how he’d foolishly spread her emotions so thin. Sapphire called it a good thing, that Pearl could love so strongly, but it was the most miserably overwhelming “good thing” Pearl had ever felt.

 

This should have been adequate. Strong arms and a steady shoulder to lean on. Pearl felt as if all her fissures and cracks came together when Garnet held her; like she was whole and right and _enough_ , and that last thing was something she couldn’t say of Rose Quartz.

 

Rose made her feel nothing like a Pearl should, made her feel welcome and safe and wanted and _loved_ above all else, and that was almost worse than if she hadn’t inspired those feelings in her Pearl at all. But she wasn’t enough for her owner. Rose Quartz was a free spirit if ever there were one, and it was clear that Pearl wasn’t her only love—and that broke Pearl’s heart in ways she didn’t know she would ever recover from.

 

And yet here she was, pining after three other Gems, herself. Pearl knew she was a hypocrite, and that only made the wanting worse.

 

She made a soft, disgruntled noise of aggravation, entirely aimed at herself, and tightened her hold around Garnet’s waist.

 

“Over-thinking things again?” Garnet’s smooth voice didn’t betray her fluttering heartbeat, but Pearl could feel that beneath her cheek. She didn’t look up, and Garnet didn’t make her.

 

“A bit,” Pearl admitted, voice sullen. She sighed, and Garnet shivered at the heat against her chest. Pearl pretended not to notice. “I don’t know what Rose will think… and I’m afraid to know. What if she tells me to stop?”

 

“Stop… feeling how you do?” The idea sounded ludicrous in words, and Garnet couldn’t honestly imagine Rose Quartz doing anything of the sort. Still, Pearl nodded miserably, and Garnet held her close. “I could look at the possibilities,” Garnet offered, knowing Pearl would reject it, but unsure of what else to say. Pearl shook her head, and despite her curiosity—despite Ruby and Sapphire’s separate curiosity—Garnet was glad. She didn’t want to pry.

 

“I don’t think she would,” Garnet said finally, “She’s always been… really supportive. Especially about love. I think she would want you to be happy.”

 

“But I am happy,” Pearl protested, sounding anything but. “Rose should be enough. She’s more than I deserve.”

 

“Pearl,” Garnet’s voice was surprisingly firm, and Pearl chanced a glance up at her, startled. “You deserve _everything_. Not less because you’re a Pearl. You’re _you_ , and you deserve the best. You’ve more than earned it. I…” she faltered, and Pearl saw embarrassment etched clearly on her fine face, but the sincerity was impossible to miss.

 

“You don’t have to,” Pearl interjected, reaching up to cover Garnet’s lips with her fingertips. The Fusion closed her mouth, and Pearl mustered up a smile. “I appreciate the effort.”

 

Garnet’s thin brows knit together with worry. “I want you to know,” she protested, drawing Pearl’s hand away from her lips. “I don’t want you to ever question your… your worth, or anything like that. You mean too much to us. _Me_.” Garnet hurried to correct her slip, pulling Pearl’s hand to her chest, over her heart. “Especially me.”

 

It was Pearl’s turn to flush yet again, and she dropped her gaze, staring intently at Garnet’s hands over hers.

 

These hands—beautiful and strong and with Ruby and Sapphire’s cores embedded in the palms—were proof of everything that made Garnet unique and _different_ , were capable of great strength as well as delicate precision, like this. Pearl stared for a long time, hesitantly spreading her palm over Garnet’s chest beneath them, enjoying the way her companion’s heart leapt in her ribcage. The faint electric current that always seemed to run through Garnet’s body made the hair at the back of her neck lift just slightly, and Pearl didn’t know if it was responsible for the warmth that spread to her Gem.

 

But she liked it.

 

Pearl’s mind was swimming, and on impulse, without thinking, she let her eyes drift shut and leaned forward for a kiss, finding Garnet’s cheek with her lips. Garnet gasped, and she almost doubted her decision—but the electrifying spark that coursed through her at the simple contact was enough.

 

“P-Pearl?” Garnet stuttered, drawing back to stare at her, all three eyes wide and cheeks burning.

 

Round blue eyes met her gaze, and Pearl swallowed hard. “It’s yes,” she said, “I—I want you to know. I still have to talk to Rose, but…” she worried her lip, “If you don’t think she’ll object… I—regardless. It’s yes, Garnet. That’s my answer. To all three of you.”

 

For several moments, Garnet didn’t speak, staring slack-jawed at the renegade pearl before her. Whatever she’d expected, it hadn’t been that. There were futures she had wished for, but most of them were centuries off. And if not for the tingling sensation where Pearl had kissed her, she might have thought she was imagining it.

 

Pearl had said yes.

 

Garnet wasn’t one to cry often, but she felt such joy bubbling up in her chest that it almost escaped as tears. Laughter was easier, came more naturally even in times of war. She scooped Pearl up, standing so quickly that the other Gem barely had a chance to protest before she was laughing with her as Garnet twirled on the limestone cave floor.

 

That the floor was slippery and the ceiling low didn’t matter, and Pearl’s embarrassment wasn’t enough to stop her as their laughter mixed and echoed off of the walls. Pearl hugged Garnet for dear life, giggling uncontrollably, and Garnet spun away from the wall, away from the low-hanging ceiling.

 

Abruptly, she tossed Pearl—just barely, mindful of the stalactites—and Pearl yelped in surprise, turning midair as she began to fall back into Garnet’s waiting arms.

 

And then everything went white.

 

It lasted only a moment; Pearl’s Gem lit up, and she caught sight of Garnet’s respective Gems doing the same before the Fusion caught her. Pearl’s form rippled, and Garnet’s did too; for just a moment, there was an explosion of dragonflies between them, a thousand wing beats that betrayed their pounding hearts, and another voice joined in their laughter.

 

They parted quickly, before she could come fully to life, and Garnet landed hard on her rear, while Pearl stumbled to stay upright.

 

“Did we just—“

 

“I’m sorry!” Garnet exclaimed, chest heaving. “I didn’t—I didn’t think—it was an accident!“

 

“No! Garnet, no,” Pearl said in a breathless rush, dropping to her side. Garnet looked pale and unsteady, like she had just before coming apart before, and Pearl threw her arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. Garnet’s breathing was irregular, rushed, and Pearl rubbed her back soothingly. “Ssh, Garnet, it’s fine. I’m not angry. It wasn’t bad.”

 

It wasn’t bad, but she would definitely have to tell Rose Quartz that they had nearly fused.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After night falls, Pearl goes to meet with Rose Quartz.

The remainder of the day passed all too quickly. Pearl and Garnet skirted the issue of almost fusing with incredible finesse, discussing almost anything else once Garnet had calmed enough for it. She and Pearl sat together for hours that were too short, keeping conversation light. They talked about Chrysoprase’s music and Larimar’s short temper, about training their respective recruits. Ruby’s skill and experience made her an excellent teacher, and Garnet could draw from that to pass information along to her students. Conversely, Pearl taught by example, used holo-Pearls with their own swords to demonstrate weaponry and swordsmanship. Rose oversaw most of the training they offered, and so far, they’d managed to train much of the small army to excellence in only a few centuries.

 

That didn’t mean they were out of the woods, but talking about theory, about curriculum, was nice. Eventually, Pearl had found herself sitting between Garnet’s legs, resting her cheek against the Fusion’s chest, and she didn’t think she could have been happier. Garnet was wonderful, warm and protective and soft, and even if she was quiet, Pearl appreciated that too. The renegade held Garnet’s hands in hers, leaned back and basked in her strength and warmth. This was almost perfect, almost everything she hadn’t known she wanted.

 

She still needed Rose Quartz’s blessing, but for now, this was harmless. They both knew it.

 

Garnet was the one to remind her that they ought to check the time, and Pearl almost wished she hadn’t. But sure enough, the sun was setting, and that meant that their reprieve was over. Pearl returned to the cave to put out the remains of their fire, and she and Garnet left in perfect silence.

 

Pearl insisted on leading, weapons drawn, and Garnet followed up close behind. No words were exchanged; they covered their path but kept to the undergrowth, following a stream for much of the return to base.

 

They made their reports to Howlite and Iolite separately, and agreed to meet back up after Pearl spoke to Rose Quartz. Her nervousness was evident, and Garnet wished she could join her, knowing full well that Pearl’s anxiety had nothing to do with their failed mission.

 

As Pearl made her way to the inner sanctums, she found herself wishing she weren’t alone in this. Garnet had given her the option, but she had been the one to reject the idea, and there was no turning back now.

 

Fortunately, Rose Quartz was always a welcome sight. No matter how anxiety nagged at her, Pearl’s proper place was at her owner’s side, and being in Rose’s presence was always relaxing.

 

The rebel leader was sitting alone, mulling over scrolls left behind by one of their captains. But she seemed to sense Pearl’s arrival, dark eyes turning toward the door before Pearl could announce herself, and when Rose Quartz smiled, Pearl felt her heart flutter with joy. She wanted to protect that smile, to give everything to ensure that Rose would be safe and happy for all of her days.

 

“Pearl!” Rose stood, documents easily ignored as she glided forward, bare feet barely touching the stone floor of the temple. She dipped down to kiss Pearl softly, drawing her close, and Pearl returned the greeting eagerly. “Did the mission go well? You were gone longer than expected.”

 

Right. The mission. Pearl shook her head, averting her eyes. “I’m afraid we couldn’t get to Agate in time, Rose,” Pearl murmured dutifully. “Garnet unfused and we had to wait until nightfall to return. I’m sorry.”

 

When Rose’s smile faded, Pearl silently cursed every member of Homeworld’s army she could name. She was quick to reach for her leader’s hand, running her thumb soothingly along the underside of her palm. Pearl’s wide eyes searched Rose’s face hopefully, and soon enough she was met with a ghost of a smile. Rose pulled her close, smothering the knight in a warm embrace and pressing a kiss into her hair.

 

“At least you two made it back safely,” Rose sighed, and Pearl nodded dutifully. That was the only good news she had been able to bring.

 

For long moments, they said nothing; the rest of Pearl’s report would reach Rose Quartz later, and right now, she knew that her leader wasn’t interested in approximate territory lost or gained. Rose Quartz cared for every member of her army, and no doubt Agate’s death would take its toll on her later that evening, when they were truly alone.

 

The longer the silence stretched between them, the more inappropriate it felt to bring up her relationship with Garnet. Pearl sighed into Rose’s bosom, hugging her tighter as if she might manage to draw courage from her infallible leader. It was silly, being nervous about this, and still…

 

“Is something else bothering you, my Pearl?”

 

Trust Rose Quartz to cut straight to the point.

 

Pearl felt her cheeks color at the question, and she drew back slightly, tilting her head up so that she could meet Rose’s dark eyes. The bigger Gem’s eyebrows were raised, curiosity evident on her soft face, and Pearl felt her heart catch in her throat. Stars above, Rose Quartz was still the most beautiful Gem she’d ever been lucky enough to see.

 

“It’s inappropriate,” Pearl managed, and Rose laughed.

 

“Is it, now?” she prodded, leaning in close to the smaller Gem in her arms, lips close to her ear. “I think we’re quite beyond boundaries, Pearl.”

 

A welcome shiver ran through her frame at those words, and Pearl struggled for her voice again. “I—maybe?” she managed, cheeks blazing a blue that rivaled Sapphire’s skin. “It’s about Garnet…”

 

“Oh?” Rose cut in, surprised, but not unhappily so.

 

“…And Ruby, and Sapphire.”

 

“ _Ohh_!” Rose’s eyes lit up, and she reached for Pearl’s hands, a warm smile playing across her plush lips. She tugged Pearl with her to sit down on her lounge chaise, a leather-strapped affair with a blanket draped over it for comfort; a gift from one of the human kings she had sported with some decades prior. Pearl sat with her, easily curling against her side, and Rose draped an arm around her narrow shoulders. “You have my full attention.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Rose talk a bit more. Continuation of Chapter 6.

It was clear from the look of panic on Pearl’s sweet face that she wasn’t entirely prepared for Rose’s full attention, and the bigger Gem stroked her shoulders soothingly, waiting patiently for Pearl to speak. It wasn’t like her to be tongue-tied, and the newness was charming. Rose already had a dozen questions she wanted to ask, but knew better than to bombard her sweet Pearl when she was obviously trying to garner her courage.

 

Pearl worried her lip until it was sore, even as Rose’s attention helped ease the tension out of her shoulders and upper back. She didn’t know what to say. More than that, she didn’t know how to say what needed to be said. Rose Quartz granted her everything, gave her purpose and love and strength, and so much more, and here she was wanting…

 

“I’m afraid,” Pearl admitted in the barest of whispers, but Rose heard her, and her hand stilled. “I don’t want to upset you.”

 

“Upset me?” Rose echoed, and she chuckled, pulling Pearl a little more snugly against her side. “You never have, my Pearl. Go on, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

“I…” Pearl swallowed hard. There really wasn’t any going back now. She wrung her hands nervously, long fingers weaving into knots until they hurt and she had to untangle them and start over. “I have… for a while now, that is, have had… these feelings. For them. All of them. I—I don’t know if it’s normal. Or right. I thought they would fade, but they never have, and…”

 

Rose regarded her, curiosity shining in her dark eyes. “You love them?”

 

“I love _you_ ,” Pearl said firmly, and there was no uncertainty in her being on that matter. She tucked her face into Rose’s soft shoulder, heaving a sigh. “But I think… I may love them, too. All three of them. But I love _you_ , and I don’t know what to _do_ , Rose—”

 

“Pearl, that’s wonderful!” Rose was smiling broadly, and Pearl suddenly found herself wondering how she could have ever thought her liege would disapprove. “What about them? Oh, I know how Garnet feels for you—“ That much was obvious to nearly everyone who stopped long enough to look, “—but Ruby and Sapphire, too? Have you talked to them? Do you want me to?”

 

The questions came out so quickly that Pearl had trouble processing them in her embarrassment. “Ah—I—that is, we’ve talked,” Pearl admitted, feeling her cheeks color. “Ruby and Sapphire’ve… well, they invited me, to be with them. But I needed to ask you.”

 

“Why?” Rose blurted out, and Pearl felt her flush creep down her neck. “Pearl, you’re free to do anything you like here on Earth, you know that!”

 

“But— _us_ ,” Pearl protested weakly, “What about us? I don’t want to do anything you don’t want me to, Rose. I want you to be happy, that means more to me than anything—“

 

Somehow, when Rose laughed, it eased Pearl’s worries. A soft palm found her burning cheek, and Rose tipped her face upward, smiling so warmly that Pearl felt as if every concern she’d ever had might burn to cinders. “My Pearl, I want _you_ to be happy,” Rose murmured, catching her lips in a short kiss that Pearl knew wouldn’t be the last of the night. “I don’t see why it would change anything between us! You worry too much. Besides,” she added, winking cheekily. “Those three are quite the Gems! I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather made you happy. They’re your best friends!”

 

That much was true. Pearl might have contested the wording—best was singular, and no one could be better than Rose Quartz—but Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet were the closest friends she had ever known. She loved them all, each a little differently, but with intensity that seemed to grow by the day. Pearl nodded, leaning up daringly for a kiss that she knew Rose wouldn’t have denied her. “Thank you,” she whispered, tangling her fingers in Rose’s long pink curls. Rose lifted her just slightly, shifting so that Pearl was draped comfortably on top of her, leaning in for another kiss. One kiss turned to two, then three more, and very soon, Pearl’s mind was completely devoid of all worries, caught up in the bliss of being alone with Rose Quartz.

 

* * *

 

 

It was hours later that Iolite came to deliver the day’s reports, and luck alone found Pearl and Rose decent on her arrival. Pearl’s neck was littered with rapidly fading marks that would be gone by the next morning. Rose’s excitement had been the stuff of daydreams Pearl couldn’t often indulge in, and she sat, dressed, but mostly buried in one of Rose’s many woven blankets to listen in on Iolite’s news. Agate hadn’t been the only casualty, but they had taken two enemy camps—Thulite and Larimar and their respective teams were largely to thank for those victories—and they had managed to retrieve Copal’s Gem intact. Garnet expected her to regenerate within the hour, and Rose asked that she be brought to speak to her once she was sufficiently recovered.

 

“Overall, we gained more than we lost today,” Iolite surmised, “I would consider today a successful campaign.”

 

“Then we should celebrate,” Rose Quartz said, rising and clasping her hands. Her eyes were shining, and Iolite bowed her head in agreement that Pearl suspected had everything to do with Rose’s position as their leader and nothing to do with the former aristocrat’s interest in merrymaking. “In honor of those we did lose, and especially in honor of Copal’s safe return. Pearl?”

 

“Yes?” Pearl looked up quickly, starting to detangle herself from the blankets at Rose’s bidding.

 

“If you would find Carnelian and Spinel, I think they would be great helpers,” Rose said, turning with a smile. Pearl knew the next words that would leave her lips before she spoke; for all that she concealed, Rose was easy to read once a Gem knew her well enough, and Pearl had known her for all of her existence. “Garnet, too. The four of you should be able to get something together, I imagine.”

 

“Of course,” Pearl responded, dipping in a bow. “I’ll find them and see to it immediately.”


	8. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Pearl thinks too much, and Garnet asks her to the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I uh. Thought I had less of this chapter written than I did. Sorry about the wait! This fic (and the others) isn't on hold or anything, I'm just distracted by other stories too.

Garnet was easily found; she was already talking to Spinel in the Great Hall, discussing what she and Pearl had missed as if nothing had happened between them. The big red Fusion was happy to talk to her smaller friend, filling her in on missed action and successful gambits, until her second set of eyes caught sight of Pearl making a beeline for them.

 

“Looks like we’re needed,” Spinel said, pushing off from the wall with practiced ease.

 

“Pearl,” Garnet greeted, turning toward her as well, hardly needing to guess who would be interrupting them. “How did it… go?”

 

The question brought a flush to Pearl’s cheeks, one she quickly willed away with a shake of her head. Her first thought was to their earlier conversations--but she knew better than to think Garnet would want to discuss that in front of Spinel. “Rose Quartz took the reports well,” she said, fighting to keep her voice even. One of Spinel’s forked eyebrows hiked up at the strain in the renegade’s normally controlled voice, but she wisely said nothing, and Pearl continued. “Despite our mission… going sour, yesterday was an unmitigated success on the front. She wants us to arrange a celebration in honor of those that fell, and in honor of the territory gained.”

 

“The three of us?” Spinel asked quizzically, pointing to each Gem present in turn.

 

“And Copal,” Pearl nodded, “I just don’t know where she is yet. Have you seen her, Spinel?”

 

The big Fusion hummed thoughtfully. “If she’s not in the barracks recovering--maybe with Thulite? When we were apart, my Copal liked seeing them together.”

 

It was easy to forget that Spinel’s components had included another Copal, after a few hundred years of being Fused with Kunzite. Pearl didn’t think she would ever get accustomed to the way she sometimes spoke of the Gems that made her up--it wasn’t like with Garnet, where Ruby and Sapphire still sometimes walked among them. Spinel never unfused.

 

Some part of Pearl wondered if there would be a day where Garnet never split apart again, and she had to shake the thought away, lest the chill that settled in her gut spread to her face and eyes.

 

“I’ll look there,” she said, “Meet back here in an hour? I’m sure you’ll be able to find Chrysoprase and her friends to cover the entertainment.”

 

Spinel shrugged agreeably enough. “I’ll find them. Garnet, do you want to come with me?”

  
“I’d better join Pearl,” Garnet said, laying a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “In case something comes up.”

 

It was a flimsy excuse, but Spinel wouldn’t argue, and Pearl was thankful for that. They dispersed, and Pearl absently reached to hold on to Garnet’s arm as they passed through the halls in comfortable silence.

 

“Did you two…” Garnet started to ask, then took the plunge. “Did Rose Quartz take it well?”

 

Pearl paused mid-step, faltered, color creeping up her neck. Her grip on Garnet’s bicep tightened. “She did. Very well,” Pearl whispered, glancing about the deserted hallway before looking up at Garnet. “I… startlingly well? Is it strange that I thought she wouldn’t?”

 

“Maybe,” Garnet shrugged, unable to keep a smile from her plush lips. She leaned down a little, almost nose-to-nose with Pearl. “Does this mean you’ll accompany me to tonight’s party?”

 

Despite herself, despite the pleasant electrifying tingle in her Gem at Garnet’s face so close to hers, Pearl laughed. “Have I ever gone to a party on Earth without you?” she asked, shaking her head. “Of course I will.”

 

The look of delight that set Garnet’s beautiful face aglow made Pearl gulp air uselessly, and the Fusion dared to press a light kiss to Pearl’s cheek. “I’m glad,” she said, thoroughly enjoying the startled way Pearl stammered as her face heated with a blush she couldn’t begin to hide. “You’re the only reason I go to those things, after all.”

 

“Besides that Rose wants us there?”

 

Garnet shook her head, resuming their walk down the hall, absently stroking the smaller Gem’s hand on her arm. “I don’t like parties,” she admitted softly. “Ruby and Sapphire… they do, well enough. But I really only go because of you.”

 

The renegade almost stumbled, but years of practice, eons of conditioning kept her pace even as her feet tried to betray her surprise. Wide blue eyes stared up at Garnet’s unguarded face, full of wonder, and for all that she knew many, many things _about_ Garnet, this information was new and confusing.

 

Pearl went to the parties because she was meant to; her kind were explicitly designed to be social, and while she was arguably defective in that respect, it wasn’t something she had a shortage of experience with. Rose enjoyed parties; Pearl enjoyed Rose’s smile even when it wasn’t directed at her. She often found corners to hide away in, nooks and walls to keep away from the thrall of everyone else’s excitement. Pearl didn’t share it.

 

Her friends did, and they had often dragged her onto the dance floor; Ruby and Sapphire took her hands and brought her in among their comrades, and Pearl didn’t feel quite so alone or awkward when they did.

 

Garnet, on the other hand, avoided parties altogether when she could. Sentry duty called, or some vision justified her escape—but more and more often, the more stable she became, the Fusion would join Pearl in her nooks and corners. When the music wasn’t too loud, they sometimes talked, but much of their time was spent in companionable silence.

 

“If you don’t like going, you could tell Rose,” Pearl murmured, knowing that she was a hypocrite for not doing the same thing. But Garnet had the right. Ruby and Sapphire had the right, too.

 

She was just a pearl.

 

Her hold on Garnet’s arm tightened incrementally, and she sighed as her mind circled back to wondering. This time, she mulled over her friends’ individual interests in her, in how unreal the idea sounded even in her own mind. The expression of interest would have been frowned upon back on Homeworld; none of them could be together. Her reciprocity would have gotten her shattered whether Rose approved or not.

 

And somehow, here on Earth, despite her defects, despite being wildly out of line on a regular basis, she’d gotten caught up in some kind of _web_ , between two lovers, Garnet, and her liege. Pearl didn’t think she would ever know what to do with it.

 

She didn’t think she’d ever deserve it.

 

“You’re thinking something blasphemous again,” Garnet cautioned her, settling a hand in her hair and mussing soft pink waves affectionately.

 

“Sorry.” The apology was automatic, but it was sincere, and Pearl met Garnet’s expectant gaze with a terribly watered down smile. “Just caught up wondering how _this_ came about. How any of you could want someone like me, much less _all_ of you. It’s a little overwhelming.”

 

That was something of a surprise, and Garnet stared. She’d expected something else, something about Homeworld, and had been prepared to argue against that.

 

“Why shouldn’t we?” Garnet asked slowly, “You’re my best friend. You’re their best friend.” She paused, “I don’t have a lot of experience… at all, really. But it seems natural to love someone who’s special to you. And you’ve always been special. To each of us.”

 

Blue flooded Pearl’s cheeks at the praise, and she found that all the doubts in the world couldn’t mount a coherent argument against Garnet’s sincerity.

 

“Thank you,” Pearl managed, pressing her face against Garnet’s bare arm. “I can’t argue with that, I suppose.”

 

This drew a chuckle from the Fusion, and she drew Pearl a little closer as they walked. “I don’t think you’d win that argument, anyway.”


End file.
